Cambridge business takes literal approach to Cyber Monday
A business in Cambridge has decided to take Cyber Monday literally, which includes closing its doors to the public so the team can focus their energy on online sales.
On Monday, The Art of Home closed its brick-and-mortar location to focus on the expected influx of digital sales.
“It’s been a significant sale event for us,” said Laura Mckenna, co-owner of The Art of Home. "It’s a major retail holiday, so to speak, so it’s definitely good for us to partake in. It’s challenging to compete with the big guys, so if you can find a way to participate in it, people are interested and they respond”
Mckenna said Cyber Monday has become a profitable time for them, with this year showing another strong day of sales.
The business said its doors will reopen on Tuesday.
“We have an online store, so we close the store for in-person shopping and do everything on the online store,” said Mckenna.
Established during the COVID-19 lockdown, The Art of Home said they are making Cyber Monday work despite the tall task of competing against the major retailers.
“There is a lot of orders. We woke up to a lot of orders because there is a good promotion today,” said The Art of Home employee Carrie Pakulat.
In the mid-afternoon, Pakulat said there is around 50 orders left to pack from the morning’s online sales.
SOME BUSINESSES FORGO CYBER MONDAY
Participating in Cyber Monday does not make sense for all independent retailers.
Jennifer Devitt, owner of Devitt House said Cyber Monday does not mean much to her.
Devitt said the purchasing power and money spent on marketing and advertising make it an unfair fight for smaller businesses.
“We just can’t compete on those grounds,” said Devitt. “We don’t have the volume, we don’t have the access. It would require a great deal of extra staffing, it would also be about delivery. It would be a stretch for us this time of year. It’s something we do ourselves.”
Despite not partaking in Cyber Monday, Devitt said they are expecting a solid holiday season, something she said is crucial for small retailers.
“It’s what is going to keep the doors open, if you can’t make a good holiday showing then you are not going to be around in February or March,” said Devitt.
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